Re:Ask HN: What's a good book to learn electronics?
by tlrobinson on Sunday November 09, 2008 @08:55PM
(#358737)
The Arduino may help getting you up and running with a microcontroller, but that is programming, so trial and error works well.
When dealing with analog circuits or digital signal timing issues, the trial and error method breaks down pretty quickly.
And you're dealing with physical components that can easily be destroyed when hooked up improperly. I've destroyed my fair share of components, and worse, equipment. It's also very easy to do things the "wrong way", while still appearing to work correctly. A simple example: overpowering an LED might not burn it out instantly, but it will shorten the life.
These types of situations can lead to crazy "bugs" which can be far more difficult to debug than their software counterparts, especially if you don't understand the underlying principles, and without the right equipment.
You definitely need a solid understanding of the basics if you want to get very far. Then you can experiment.
When dealing with analog circuits or digital signal timing issues, the trial and error method breaks down pretty quickly.
And you're dealing with physical components that can easily be destroyed when hooked up improperly. I've destroyed my fair share of components, and worse, equipment. It's also very easy to do things the "wrong way", while still appearing to work correctly. A simple example: overpowering an LED might not burn it out instantly, but it will shorten the life.
These types of situations can lead to crazy "bugs" which can be far more difficult to debug than their software counterparts, especially if you don't understand the underlying principles, and without the right equipment.
You definitely need a solid understanding of the basics if you want to get very far. Then you can experiment.